Jana Mohr Lone is the co-founder of PLATO and for many years was the director of the University of Washington Center for Philosophy for Children, before its 2022 merger with PLATO. She holds an appointment as Affiliate Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Washington, and is the author of the books Seen and Not Heard (2021) and The Philosophical Child (2012); co-author of the textbook Philosophy in Education: Questioning and Dialogue in Schools (2016); co-editor of Philosophy and Education: Introducing Philosophy to Young People (2012); author of many articles about young people’s philosophical thinking; and, most recently, author of a series of six picture books – entitled What Would You Do? (2024) – focusing on moral issues facing children. Jana has been leading philosophy sessions with students from preschool to graduate school for more than 25 years. She has a Ph.D. in philosophy and a J.D. She lives in Camden, Maine.
https://phil.washington.edu/people/jana-mohr-lone

Allison Cohen is an Advanced Placement U.S. Government and Philosophy teacher at Langley High School in McLean, VA. She also teaches AP Capstone Seminar and Research classes. Allison is dedicated to bringing quality philosophy curricula to high schools across the nation and expanding opportunities for students to engage in philosophical questioning and reasoning. She also serves on the board for Street Law, a national nonprofit committed to preserving and enhancing civics education in our schools. 
Allison's resume

Alexandra Chang is a middle school English teacher in Michigan. Previously, she taught for four years in Boston Public Schools. Alex studied philosophy and education at Carleton College, where she first began teaching philosophy in local schools. As a teacher, Alex continues to develop philosophy lesson plans for middle school students, as well as consider the intersection between philosophy, social-emotional learning, and restorative practices. Most recently, Alex has collaborated with A2Ethics in Ann Arbor to develop a workshop for local teachers interested in expanding the use of philosophy in their core classes.

Leo Cunningham (he/him) is a senior at Concord Academy in Concord, Massachusetts. He is co-head of this school's debate and Ethics club, and enjoys giving lectures as the head of the philosophy club. In addition to philosophy and history, Leo enjoys computer programming and is interested in exploring ethical aspects of AI and technology.

Ryan Jung is a junior at Harvard University studying Social Studies and Philosophy with a minor in Educational Studies and serves as the Graduate/Undergraduate Consortium Chair. His experience with bringing philosophical inquiry into K-12 classrooms began as a high school student when he designed its introductory philosophy course. His academic interests lie in the intersection of philosophy of education and political theory, particularly the role of educational institutions in improving democracy. At Harvard, he is an Undergraduate Fellow at the Safra Center for Ethics, leads a volunteer civic education organization, and works with faculty and university leadership to influence curriculum changes at the College. In his free time, you can find Ryan powerlifting and trying new coffee shops in Cambridge.

Erica Bigelow is a doctoral candidate at the University of Washington whose work focuses on emotions, disability, and emerging technologies. She is also a communications research assistant at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard Law School. Through PLATO, Erica has facilitated philosophical conversations with students ranging from elementary school to high school, and she has taught a course on P4C at the University of Washington. PLATO has given her the ability to stoke the curiosity of older pre-college students, who often get overlooked in conversations about philosophy for children.

Karen S. Emmerman started teaching philosophy classes at John Muir Elementary in Seattle in 2010 and has worked as their Philosopher-in-Residence since 2013. She has taught a high school philosophy class and has facilitated teacher trainings in pre-college philosophy for many years. Karen teaches a course in philosophy for children at the University of Washington and mentors graduate and undergraduate students. She was the Education Director of the University of Washington Center for Philosophy for Children before it merged with PLATO in 2022. Karen is part-time faculty in the philosophy department at the University of Washington and writes in ecofeminism, animal ethics, and philosophy for children as well as serving as senior associate editor of the journal Precollege Philosophy and Public Practice. karensemmerman.com

Mitchell Conway is a Facilitator at Cottonwood Agile Learning Center, a Community Philosopher at Merlin CCC, and a Philosophy Instructor at Carroll College. He is a student of philosophy, a theater maker, and a teacher who cares ardently about empowering young learners; his work often interweaves education, story, and inquiry. He has a Masters degree in Philosophy & Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, and he trained at the Institute for the Advanced of Philosophy for Children. In addition to serving on the Academic Advisory Committee for PLATO, he is also on the Editorial Board for the journal Questions.  

Laurie Grady has been teaching for over 20 years in the Philadelphia area and has been teaching at Haverford Senior High School in Havertown, PA since 2004. Some of the courses she teaches are Advanced Placement Language and Composition, English Language Arts, and electives such as Shakespeare, Creative Writing, and Literature & Philosophy. She is committed to the inclusion of critical and philosophical thinking and communication in all her courses. Laurie has served in leadership roles for both students and colleagues, most recently as a sponsor for her school's nationally winning HI-Q team and as chairperson on the Faculty Advisory Committee. She is passionate about communicating the potential of philosophical inquiry to other teachers and dedicated to exploring practical ways to expand P4C to more schools and homes. 
LinkedIn profile

Seoyoung is a student at Saint Paul Preparatory Seoul in South Korea. Her interests lie in the fields of biology, political science, and mainly philosophy. At school, she can be found leading the TedTalk club, playing basketball, or engaging in existentialist and philosophical discussions with her friends.

Melissa Diamond is a Ph.D. student in the University of Washington College of Education’s Social and Cultural Foundations program. She graduated from UW with a B.A. in philosophy and a B.S. in computer science in 2020 and earned an M.Ed. in Social and Cultural Foundations in 2023, also from UW. Her research is in the philosophy of education, with a focus on the ethics of education in the context of the global climate crisis. She also served as a Graduate Fellow with PLATO from 2021-2023. In her free time, Melissa loves to cook and bake, backpack, and dabble in various arts and crafts projects.

Roberta Israeloff has directed the Squire Family Foundation since its inception in 2007. The Foundation advocates for the inclusion of philosophy in elementary and secondary schools, and co-founded both PLATO and the National High School Ethics Bowl. She co-edited Philosophy and Education: Introducing Philosophy to Young People, and is on the editorial board of Precollege Philosophy and Public Practice. In her thirty-five-year writing career, she has published numerous essays, short stories, book reviews, and books including, mostly recently, The Ethics Bowl Way: Answering Questions, Questioning Answers, and Creating Ethical Communities, co-edited with Karen Mizell.
Roberta's resume

Melissa Diamond is a Ph.D. student in the University of Washington College of Education’s Social and Cultural Foundations program. She graduated from UW with a B.A. in philosophy and a B.S. in computer science in 2020 and earned an M.Ed. in Social and Cultural Foundations in 2023, also from UW. Her research is in the philosophy of education, with a focus on the ethics of education in the context of the global climate crisis. She also served as a Graduate Fellow with PLATO from 2021-2023. In her free time, Melissa loves to cook and bake, backpack, and dabble in various arts and crafts projects.

Debi Talukdar has been facilitating K-12 philosophy classes since 2014 and was the Philosopher-in-Residence at Thurgood Marshall Elementary School, Seattle, from 2018-2021. She also mentors educators and facilitates professional development workshops, and was previously Program Director at the University of Washington Center for Philosophy for Children before it merged with PLATO in 2022. Debi is an adjunct lecturer for online courses at the University of Washington School of Educational Studies and former ensemble member at Theater for Change UW. She currently lives in Oakland, CA. https://www.linkedin.com/in/debi-talukdar-35412345/   

Marisa Diaz-Waian chairs the PLATO Education Committee. She is the founder and director of Merlin CCC – a public philosophy non-profit in Helena, MT. A community philosopher and generalist by nature, training, and practice, Marisa happily hangs her hat at Merlin Nature Preserve where she lives and serves as its trustee and steward. She has a special interest in ethics, ancient philosophy, existentialism, humor, and “fuzzy” topics at the intersection of philosophy and psychology. Her work focuses on philosophy in the community, frequently with an interdisciplinary, environmental, and intergenerational bent.  

Sam Cao is a Junior at Miramonte High School. He loves exploring philosophy, economics, politics, and history in his free time. Aside from this, he also enjoys doing art and reading.

Kate Given is an undergraduate philosophy student at Columbia University in the City of New York. She began her work with PLATO as a social media intern in 2022 and has since furthered her involvement as a member of the staff, the student advisory council, and the graduate/undergraduate consortium. She was named a finalist in the 2023 American Philosophy Open and received the Girl Scout Gold Award for her work with Southern California school districts to create and implement hands-on, arts-based philosophy curriculum in local elementary school classrooms. She has also been published in PLATO’s pre-college philosophy journal, Questions: Philosophy for Young People, and continues to pursue her love of philosophical writing and inquiry at the collegiate level.

Aaron Yarmel is the Associate Director of the Center for Ethics and Human Values at The Ohio State University, where his research interests include philosophy for children, social change, and two-level utilitarianism. In addition to overseeing all CEHV programs, Aaron leads its efforts on dialogue facilitation and skill building, outreach, and the ETHOS Fellows program. He is also the Founding Director of Philosophy Counseling and Consulting, an organization that offers philosophical counseling. He has a PhD in philosophy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Outside his academic work, Aaron has been an animal rights activist and a vegan since 2011. 
LinkedIn profile

Isla is a student at Ransom Everglades School in Miami, Florida. Passionate about ethics, epistemology, and existentialism, she founded her school’s first philosophy club this year. Through this club, she is working to create a space for intellectual freedom and curiosity, as well as make philosophy accessible to low income teenagers throughout Miami. Outside of her passion for philosophy, Isla enjoys reading and writing poetry.

Lori Morrison is a seasoned nonprofit and education professional with over 20 years of experience in both higher education and high school settings. She is passionate about the evolving landscape of education and advocates for the integration of philosophy-driven critical thinking skills. Lori has held roles in fundraising development and marketing with community-focused organizations like the American Cancer Society and faith-based institutions, including universities and missions organizations. She and her family embrace a unique lifestyle in Southern California, living in the Angeles National Forest, where her husband of 23 years serves as a Maintenance Manager at an overnight camp. Lori enjoys spending quality time with her husband, two children, and their yellow lab, Tilly.

Mary Drayer has been a high school social studies teacher since 1993, promoting student agency and fostering academic and emotional growth in the classroom. She began her career at the Lexington School for the Deaf in New York City and is now an elective social studies teacher in Long Island. She teaches self-developed courses in Introduction to Debate and Introduction to Philosophy, along with AP Research. Throughout her career, she has coached Mock Trial, Ethics Bowl, and Debate teams. Recently, she expanded her involvement in the K-12 P4C community through PLATO’s professional development courses and organizing the Long Island Ethics Bowl.

Zoë Henry is a sophomore at SUNY New Paltz. As a member of PLATO’s Student Advisory Council, she participated in the organisation of and served as a panelist on the 2023 Webinar “The Splendor of Gender.” She served on the Student Advisory Council from 2022-2024. She currently serves on the PLATO Graduate/Undergraduate Consortium. Along with learning philosophy, Zoë is an avid writer, reader, language learner, low-effort backyard gardener, and armchair local/environmental historian.

Gayathri Kaimal is a second-year student at the University of Chicago. She joined PLATO’s Student Advisory Council in 2021 and served as a panelist on the 2023 webinar "Gen Z Perspectives on Technology and Privacy." Currently, Gayathri is a member of the PLATO Graduate/Undergraduate Consortium. In her free time, she enjoys reading, studying ancient languages, and playing every single NYTimes game.

Cassie Finley is a PhD candidate in philosophy at the University of Iowa. She is the director of the Iowa Lyceum, a free precollege philosophy summer program run by University of Iowa graduate students. She has published on the Iowa Lyceum and graduate student education, and has current projects in public and precollege philosophy in the works. She also developed (with Jen Foster, USC) the free public philosophy workshop series, “Cogtweeto.” Her research interests include virtue education, metaphilosophy, social epistemology, ancient Greek philosophy, and philosophy of technology.

Paul is a passionate supporter of the humanities and education alongside arts and technology. His work history in mission-driven non-profits includes Girls Who Code as a member of the Program Operations team, coordination of the development of digital learning applications for UNICEF Disabilities, and operations and administration for Weill Cornell Medicine. He is a graduate of New York University and the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and has received fellowships and residencies from the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study, NYU Centre for Ballet and the Arts, Yaddo, and UKARIA.

Bridget Flynn is a sophomore at Narragansett High School in Rhode Island. She is the captain of her school's Ethics Bowl team and has pursued philosophy courses at her local university. Outside of philosophy, she is passionate about the arts—including writing, dance, and music—along with travel and politics. 

Kate Goldyn was for many years the outreach coordinator for the University of Washington Department of Philosophy and for the former UW Center for Philosophy for Children before its merger with PLATO in 2022. She enjoys sharing with others the importance of philosophy and how relevant it is to everything we do. She makes sure to take time to wonder with her three children and ask why questions

Dan Fouts has been high school social studies teacher since 1993 in the Chicagoland area, teaching US history, AP government, American studies and, most recently, a philosophy elective which he designed in 2011. Outside of the classroom, he has presented extensively at the state and national level on inquiry-based instruction techniques, in addition to working with PLATO and the American Philosophical Association to bring philosophy into K-12 classrooms in the United States. He is a co-founder of Teach Different, a professional development organization which helps teachers and students master the art and science of classroom conversations using a simple protocol which combines quotes, claims, counterclaims and essential questions.

Jim Gillen serves as the Chief Development Officer for Hire Heroes USA, a national nonprofit dedicated to providing free job search assistance to military members, vererans, and their spouses. Before this, Jim was the Chief Development and Marketing Officer for The Mission Continues, he spearheaded marketing and communications efforts at United Way Suncoast, and he founded Slate Media, focusing on strategic messaging for Fortune 100 clients. He holds an MBA from the University of South Florida, with graduate certificates in nonprofit leadership from Harvard and Boston University. As a board member for PLATO, Jim is committed to advancing the organization's goal of incorporating philosophy into educational curricula nationwide, fostering a generation of thoughtful, ethical leaders.

Celina Huo lives in Southern California and is a junior in high school. She has an interest in philosophy and forensic psychology. Her biggest contribution to philosophy is that she is the author of a short philosophy book. She plans to study criminal law and dive deeper into criminal justice.

Sai Kuppili is a junior at the University of California, Los Angeles studying Neuroscience, Systems Biology, and Philosophy. His interest in ethics began while working at Yale’s Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics studying policymaking surrounding psychiatric health and unhoused populations. His current interests in ethics are in clinical and community ethics, and he is working to establish community bioethics forums to integrate local voices in hospital decision making. Outside of ethics, Sai has research interests in neurodegeneration, spinal cord injury, and computer vision.

Carol Brumer Gliksman has an MSW from Indiana University and has worked with nonprofit organizations and higher education in fundraising/leadership development. She has also worked with schools of social work at the University of Illinois (Champaign), Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland) and Loyola University (Chicago). During the pandemic she served as the Chaplaincy Coordinator for JCFS in Skokie, Illinois, and most recently was the Volunteer Manager for the Georgia Radio Reading Service. Originally from South Bend, Indiana, prior to coming to Atlanta to be with her partner, Richard, in 2022, she lived most of her life in several Midwest communities. In her spare time, Carol loves reading what she calls cookbook memoir, delving into contemporary issues, traveling everywhere, and walking through cultivated gardens.

Justin Jho is a sophomore at Shady Side Academy in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He leads his school’s Philosophy Club and is the founder and captain of his school’s Ethics Bowl team. Having taken university coursework in philosophy, Justin is particularly interested in moral philosophy, normative ethics and applied ethics. He is excited to serve on PLATO’s Student Advisory Council.

Sara Goering is Professor and Chair of the Department of Philosophy at the University of Washington, Seattle. She has worked with young people from Kindergarten through high school, in weekly philosophy discussions in school, all-day philosophy classes through outreach programs, philosophy summer camps, and middle and high school ethics bowls.

Yunah Kwon is an undergraduate sophomore at Columbia University studying philosophy with a minor in physics and music performance on a pre-law track. She is interested in aesthetics, intellectual property, and quantum mechanics. In her free time, she enjoys visiting new art exhibits in NYC and playing the oboe

Claire Katz is Professor and Associate Provost for Faculty Advocacy at Texas A&M University. She conducts research and teaches courses in two primary areas: 1. at the intersection of philosophy, education, gender, and Jewish studies and 2. K-12 philosophy.  She was named a Presidential Professor for Teaching Excellence and a Piper Professor in the state of Texas. In 2023, she was a finalist for the Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teaching, a national teaching award presented by Baylor University. She is the author of three monographs and six edited collections, including Growing Up with Philosophy Camp: How Learning to Think Develops Friendship, Community, and a Sense of Self (R&L, 2020) and Philosophy Camps for Youth (R&L 2021). She founded and now co-directs P4C Texas and the Aggie School of Athens Philosophy Summer Camp for Teens.

Bob Gordon has years of experience dealing with legal and financial matters as a tax and corporate lawyer. While majoring in philosophy as an undergraduate, he developed a boundless intellectual curiosity and a passion for critical thinking that was essential to his success initially in educational publishing and then in law. In his spare time, he is engaged with several nonprofit, charitable, and community organizations and reads obsessively.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rmgordon

Chaeyeon is a philosophy Ph.D. candidate at the University of Iowa with research interests in social ontology, metaphysics, ethics, and philosophy for children. She organized and taught at Ewha Saturday Philosophy Class, a Philosophy for Children program in South Korea, and currently serves as the director of the Iowa Lyceum, a pre-college summer philosophy program.

Kate Given is an undergraduate philosophy student at Columbia University in the City of New York. She began her work with PLATO as a social media intern in 2022 and has since furthered her involvement as a member of the staff, the student advisory council, and the graduate/undergraduate consortium. She was named a finalist in the 2023 American Philosophy Open and received the Girl Scout Gold Award for her work with Southern California school districts to create and implement hands-on, arts-based philosophy curriculum in local elementary school classrooms. She has also been published in PLATO’s pre-college philosophy journal, Questions: Philosophy for Young People, and continues to pursue her love of philosophical writing and inquiry at the collegiate level.

Erik Kenyon, a classicist with a specialty in ancient philosophical dialogue, is author of Augustine and the Dialogue (Cambridge University Press, 2018) and co-author of Ethics for the Very Young (Rowman & Littlefield, 2019). He taught for eight years at Rollins College. Since 2020, he has taught middle-school Latin and Humanities at Friends Academy, Dartmouth, MA, where he is helping integrate ethical reasoning into the curriculum. Erik serves on the board of the National Middle School Ethics Bowl. He is currently translating a collection of Greek and Latin philosophical texts for young readers.

Jeremy Lee is a senior at the Bergen County Academies in New Jersey. He became interested in philosophy through various classes both in and out of school, and he is particularly excited about studying logic and ethical dilemmas. Aside from philosophy, he also has interests in math, computer science, and linguistics.

Hanan Rimawi is a medical student at Stanford pursuing a concentration in bioethics and the medical humanities. Previously, she earned bachelor’s degrees in neuroscience and public health, then worked in English education before rediscovering her love for medicine. Her self-directed engagement with philosophy has enriched her life, seeding a passion for making philosophy more accessible.

Kelly Laas is the Librarian of the Center for the Study of Ethics in the Professions at the Illinois Institute of Technology. She works on developing resources and strategies to help integrate ethics into university-level courses and research projects in engineering and the sciences. She is also currently the Upper Midwest Regional Representative for the Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl and has worked extensively with colleagues from the Chicago area to help organize the Chicago High School Ethics Bowl. Kelly is also the managing editor of PLATO's journal Precollege Philosophy and Public Practice (P4).
https://ethics.iit.edu/about/kelly-laas

Colin Pierce has been an educator for 14 years and is a passionate advocate for equity in education and elevating youth voice and agency in the matters most important to them. He taught at Rainier Beach High School in south Seattle for eight years and coached teams in the Washington State Ethics Bowl for seven. Born in Oakland, California, he received his Bachelor's degree from Sarah Lawrence College and his Master of Arts in Teaching from Lewis & Clark College. He currently works for the City of Seattle's Department of Education and Early Learning and serves on the Washington State Leadership Board, among other volunteer activities. 

Joshua Meshechok (he/him) is a senior at Sevenoaks School in Kent, England. He is particularly interested in exploring the teleological argument for the existence of God as well as applying philosophy to support equity and social justice, which he has pursued through the Huntington Youth Court. Through the PLATO Student Advisory Council, Joshua aims to make philosophy more accessible to peers from all racial and socio-economic backgrounds. In addition to his work in philosophy and social justice, he enjoys traveling and building his vinyl collection.

Richa Shukla is a freshman at Columbia University studying Physics and Philosophy and serves on the Graduate/Undergraduate Consortium. Her experience with bringing philosophy into K-12 classrooms began as a high school student when she gave talks for the PLATO Student Advisory Council. Her interests are in the intersection of philosophy of science and metaphysics. In her free time, you can find Richa reading and playing the drums in New York City.

Scott MacLeod attributes his success as an advertising executive, nonprofit manager, and educator to his early training in philosophy. He served as Senior Vice President for global advertising agencies, including J. Walter Thompson and Development Director for Breakthrough Collaborative, a national education nonprofit. After a successful bout with cancer, Scott pursued his lifelong passion for education as an award-winning teacher at a public high school, where he taught AP Language & Composition, Journalism and coached the Ethics Bowl team. When not pondering the great questions of life, Scott can be found mountain biking, snowboarding or playing guitar and bass in a rock band called The Role Models. Scott earned an AB cum laude in Philosophy from Harvard University and an MAT from University of San Francisco, where his master’s thesis was titled “Philosophical Inquiry in the High School English Classroom.”

LinkedIn profile

Stephen Kekoa Miller, Humanities Department chair at Oakwood Friends School and Adjunct Professor of Philosophy at Marist College, has taught philosophy for the past 20 years in Poughkeepsie NY. Stephen has developed a wide range of courses from middle school philosophy through upper-level college courses, and a philosophy series for parents and community members.  Stephen’s research interests lately have included pre-college philosophy, philosophy of education, virtue ethics and philosophy of emotion.  Stephen is also the Chair of the APA's Committee on Precollege Instruction in Philosophy.  Stephen served on the Teachers Advisory Council of the National Humanities Center. He is the editor of Intentional Disruptions (Vernon, 2021). 
Stephen’s Resume

Miller “Lang” Ming is a student at Northfield Mount Hermon, and is the founder and president of the “Bridge of Letters” Philosophy Club and the initiator of Star-Rise Youth Charity Fund. He is particularly interested in Comparative Philosophy.

Nava is a senior at Atlanta International School. Her interest in philosophy has grown out of her passion for equity and social justice. She has taken several classes on philosophy, and she hopes to make similar opportunities accessible to other students through the PLATO Student Advisory Council.

Lena holds a Master's in Library and Information Science from the University of Washington and has been a Children's Librarian since 2018. She is passionate about offering philosophy for children in informal settings, such as public libraries, while prioritizing an equity framework.

Deborah S. Mower, founding Director of The Center for Practical Ethics, is the Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Hume Bryant Professor of Ethics, and an Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Mississippi. She is on the Board of Directors for the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics, and was a former President of the Society for Ethics Across the Curriculum. Specializing in moral psychology, applied ethics and public policy, and moral education, she co-edited Civility in Politics and Education (with Wade Robison, 2012) and Developing Moral Sensitivity (with Wade Robison and Phyllis Vandenberg,  2015). With a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, she co-directed a Summer Institute on Moral Psychology and Education (2016). https://www.deborahmower.com

Mina is a junior at Oakwood Friends School in Poughkeepsie, NY. She grew up in London and moved to the US for high school. She became interested in philosophy through both ethics and philosophy classes at school as well as participating in Ethics Bowl.

Edgar Vasquez is a Master’s student in Philosophy at Eastern Michigan University. He’s also earned a B.A. in Philosophy at EMU. He’s organized the EMU Undergraduate Conference in Philosophy in 2023 and 2024. He’s had the pleasure of giving a lecture on Death and Meaning at the Oakland University Philosophy camp for young high school students. His research interests are primarily in Chinese and Indian Philosophy as well as Philosophy of Mind. Finding ways to cultivate a more virtuous mind is what drives his research.

Jane Rutstein Shay is a 5th-grade teacher and the Middle School Debate Coach at the Evergreen School in Shoreline, WA.  She received a bachelor's in philosophy from Tufts University and her master’s in teaching from Seattle University. Jane has been teaching elementary and middle school since 2008 and has sought to infuse philosophical inquiry into the curriculum and her work with children. In 2024, partnering with other middle school teachers, Jane spearheaded a middle school Ethics Bowl in the Seattle area and intends to continue growing this event. Jane began working with/(learning from) PLATO (formerly the University of Washington’s Center for Philosophy for Children) in 2015, most recently serving on the Programs (later Education) Committee and the Conference Committee.

John Torrey is Assistant Professor of Philosophy and a contributing professor in the Africana Studies unit at SUNY Buffalo State. He holds a BA in Philosophy and Spanish from Morehouse College (2009) and an MA and Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Memphis (2019). His primary research interests are in the intersection of political philosophy, applied ethics, and African-American philosophy, specifically with regards to calls for Black reparations in America. Additionally, he has interests in philosophy of education and pre-college philosophy. He also has developed precollege philosophy programs since 2010, Philosophical Horizons at the University of Memphis and the Buffalo State Lyceum.

Meera Patel is a Senior Director of Global Omnichannel Advanced Analytics at Kellanova, where she leads transformative initiatives leveraging AI in sales and marketing. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, she has played pivotal roles at companies such as Kellanova, Pepsi, and Unilever. Furthermore, she has also founded a tech start-up and co-developed an Omnichannel executive leadership program at Cornell Tech. 

Specializing in philosophy for children and the history of philosophy, Wendy C. Turgeon is presently the chair of the Department of Philosophy at St. Joseph’s College, where she has been teaching courses since 1991. One of the leading proponents of the freshman honors program, Dr. Turgeon coordinates the program in addition to teaching one of its core courses. She has also incorporated global education into many of the philosophy classes at the College and is a passionate advocate for study abroad. Dr. Turgeon was also instrumental in creating the College’s minor in women’s studies.

David Shapiro is a faculty member at Cascadia College, where he teaches college philosophy classes that draw heavily upon his experiences and lesson plans for doing philosophy with pre-college students. He has been doing philosophy with young people in and around the Seattle area since he was a graduate student at the University of Washington way back in the 20th century. David is the author and/or co-author of six books, including Plato Was Wrong! Footnotes on Doing Philosophy with Young People, a compendium of activities, exercises, and games he has developed for exploring philosophical questions in the classroom and beyond.

Ariel Sykes is the Director of Mindbridge Education. She has worked in the philosophy for children community for 17 years and specializes in dialogic teaching strategies, argumentation, and ethics instruction. She received her B.A from Mount Holyoke College and her M.A. from Teachers College, Columbia University in the field of Philosophy and Education. Ariel is the co-founder of the New York City High School Ethics Bowl and an endorsed practitioner of the Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children.

Dustin Webster is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania where he serves as the Co-Director for Penn’s Project for Philosophy for the Young. In addition to philosophy for children and pre-college philosophy, Dustin's research interests include normative evaluations of using education for social mobility, the relationship of education to work, character and virtue education, and educational ethics. He has a professional background in K-12 education with experience in a variety of contexts, including most recently as a 5th grade teacher. Dustin received his PhD from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education where he studied the philosophy of education.

Edie Strianese is a rising junior at Oakwood Friends School in NY. They became interested in philosophy through ethics classes and have participated in Ethics Bowl the past two years. They also enjoy discussions surrounding history and politics.

JC Wright is an instructor and curriculum advisor for philosophy and music classes at Qualia: The School for Deeper Learning. His work focuses on the use of tabletop roleplaying games and thought experiments to facilitate philosophical discussions among 4th-12th grade students while emphasizing the development of social-emotional skills. Examples of specialized high school classes JC has taught include board game design, the philosophy of consciousness, theories of jazz improvisation, the linguistics of constructed languages, and the history of corporate crime. JC holds an M.A. in Philosophy from Virginia Tech.

Kevin Zhang (he/it) is a junior at BASIS International School Park Lane Harbour. He loves to study philosophy and its intersections with physics, ecology, science fiction, and people. An alumnus of UCSB’s Research Mentorship Program, Kevin is passionate about research and empowering others through his work. He is also a published author, two-time national debate champion, editor, translator, poet, and community leader. When Kevin is not binge-reading analytic metaphysics or sci-fi, you can find him hunting for crystals, traveling with his thermos, or dreaming about Lewisian worlds.

Henry is a student at BASIS International School Park Lane Harbour. His main areas of interest include meta-ethics, normative ethics, critical theory, and studies of ideologies. Henry also loves to play ultimate frisbee.

Stephen Kekoa Miller, Humanities Department chair at Oakwood Friends School and Adjunct Professor of Philosophy at Marist College, has taught philosophy for the past 20 years in Poughkeepsie NY. Stephen has developed a wide range of courses from middle school philosophy through upper-level college courses and a philosophy series for parents and community members. Stephen’s research interests have included pre-college philosophy, philosophy of education, virtue ethics and philosophy of emotion. Stephen served on the Teachers Advisory Council of the National Humanities Center. He is the editor of Intentional Disruptions (Vernon, 2021). 
Stephen’s Resume